My Placement at Renesas Electronics

With an interest in STEM she has many aspirations before attending Aston University, one of which was to become a robotics engineer after her education. Third year MEng Electronic Engineering and Computer Science Nishika talks about her placement at Renesas Electronics.

Nishika acquired her placement year with Renesas Electronics through the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF) Scholarship Scheme. This scheme provides students with either a placement each summer until graduation, or a full-time placement for a year with their chosen company.

Renesas Electronics is a semiconductor manufacturer, originally based in Japan, that aims to develop a ‘safer, healthier, greener, and smarter world’. The company aims to provide solutions in order to ‘enhance the way people work and live’ and is known to be the world’s leading manufacturer and suppliers of microcontrollers for the automotive industry.

During her placement, Nishika worked as a software developer, writing code for micro-processors, but her role isn’t just limited to this. She is always learning new things and is constantly adapting and improving because of this, as every day gives her a new task by coding something different each day.

Even though Nishika is still in the midst of her placement year, she has already gained many advantages. From her environment, she has learned a lot about professionalism, especially regarding communication and time management. She has also developed her organisation skills, as she is able to prioritise her tasks as an individual, but also in a team environment.

Preparing for Placement

In the years Nishika has been studying at Aston University, she participated in clubs and societies which developed her as an individual and as a prospective employee. She is a member of the Electronics society and the WEST society and has acted as a student representative for her course.

Outside of Aston, she has volunteered with the UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (UKSEDS) and has helped to develop a good network with the alumni of the organisation as well as plan mentorship schemes.

A lot of her personal development came from participating in these extra-curricular activities, which allowed her to develop the mindset and work ethic which prepared her for placement.

Advice for Students

Nishika highlighted the importance of being persistent with what you do, referring to studying, as everything that is taught will be beneficial in the long run. When looking for placements she advises avoiding choosing companies by name and salary and to always asking questions to prospective employers, since you should enjoy the experience.

Nishika also emphasised that you should be expected to be dealing with ambiguity as there are still many things you do not know, but this placement year is also designed to teach and give you experience.

Latest Achievements 

Nishika has been honoured with an Electronics Weekly Bright Sparks award.